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HOME JANUARY 2019 4 Dear Jim: Several of my children have allergies so I want to use room air cleaners in their bedrooms. I have seen many adver- tisements with great claims for effective- ness. What type of room air cleaner is really best? — Randy R. Dear Randy: It can be quite difficult to separate the truth from the advertising hype about the effectiveness of various room air cleaners. The sheer size or price of a specif- ic unit does not necessarily indicate it is effective. The type of filtering material inside is what is most important. For the most effective air cleaning, partic- ularly during winter, it is wise to use both a high-quality central furnace air cleaner along with room air cleaners. Some of the newer central air cleaners are very effective, but they remove only the particles which actually get into the duct system. When your children plop down on a sofa or walk on the carpeting, a cloud of allergen particles comes up. Some of these particles are relatively large and settle out of the air before they ever get near the furnace return air registers. A room air cleaner can remove many of these particles. Instead of relying on advertising informa- tion, use the CADR, which stands for clean air delivery rate, to compare various air cleaners effectiveness. This rating is deter- mined by testing procedures sanctioned by the Association of Home Appliance Manu- facturers. The U.S. Environmental Protec- tion Agency and the American Lung Associ- ation recognize the CADR data as accurate and realistic. The first step is to have your children test- ed to determine what airborne allergies they have. This is because the effectiveness of dif- ferent designs of air cleaners and filtering methods varies depending upon what parti- cles you need to remove from the room air. Three of the most common types of parti- cles in room air are household dust, tobacco smoke and pollen. These cover the size range of most other typical airborne particles. The CADR ratings have three separate numbers which refer to these three particles. You may find an air cleaner which is very effective for pollen, but not as effective for tobacco smoke. When selecting an air cleaner, the CADR indicates the maximum size of room for which the air cleaner will be effective. A guideline is the CADR rating for the specific particle of interest should be at least two- thirds the square footage of the room. For example, a 10-by-10-foot room would need a CADR of 67 or greater. In general, I prefer a HEPA filter media with a carbon element. A HEPA filter is effective for almost all sizes of common allergens and the carbon removes odors and chemicals. A large carbon element is best. Select one with several fan speeds for rapid air cleaning before bedtime and quiet slow- speed operation at night. The following companies offer room air cleaners: Blueair, 888-258-3247, www.blueair.com; Holmes, 888-546-5637, www.holmesproducts.com; Kaz, 800-447-0457, www.kaz.com; LakeAir, 800-558-9436, www.lakeair.com; and Whirlpool, 866-698- 2538, www.whirlpool.com. Dear Jim: I need some additional insula- tion in my attic and I plan to use fiberglass batts. It will require quite a bit of cutting and fitting. What is a good way to cut fiber- glass insulation crisply and straight? — Sean M. Dear Sean: You are correct in trying to get a tight fit of the batt insulation without many gaps on your attic floor. Just several gaps can reduce its efficiency gains. Always wear gloves and a breathing mask. Get a piece of scrap plywood that is longer than the insulation width and saw a narrow slot in the plywood. Lay the plywood over the insulation to compress it and then run your knife through the slot for a straight cut. (Send inquiries to James Dulley, The Free- man, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit www.dulley.com.) All room air cleaners aren't alike — quality, room size make big difference James Dulley This shows the three filter elements inside the air cleaner for greater air flow capacity. Notice the black carbon filter lining to remove odors. James Dulley This model has a two-speed fan and an efficient filter element. On high-speed, it can filter all the air in a 20-by-20-foot room five times. James Dulley This is the interior of an electrostatic precipitator air cleaner showing the charging wires, the collection plate and prefilter. JAMES DULLEY

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